Vietnam veteran discovers healthy tenor through bay pines va | va bay pines health care | veterans affairs

Trauma is a state that many Veterans are all too familiar with. Like wounds of the body, wounds of the mind are not something that typically dissipate on their own; they often require

careful attention and time to heal. Fortunately, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System offers Veterans a multitude of resources to aid them on their journey toward leading healthier, happier lives.

One of these resources is the Veterans Creative Arts Competition. “The creative arts competition is held annually nation-wide at different VA facilities and is open to all Veterans who are

enrolled in VA health care,” said Erin Todd, music therapist and coordinator of the competition at Bay Pines VA. “We offer a variety of categories for Veterans to submit their art, to

include photography, musical compositions, written pieces and much more. This really empowers our Veterans to discover a creative outlet that is best suited for them.” U.S. Army Veteran

Kenneth Shemenski’s musical performance was among the 110 pieces entered into Bay Pines VA’s local competition last fall. This April, the Vietnam Veteran travels to the National Veterans

Creative Arts Competition in St. Louis, Mo. “I am beyond humbled to be able to participate in the national festival; the program has meant a lot to me,” Shemenski said. “Before I started

singing, I would have flashbacks nearly every month. I used to cry my eyes out, but because of this music therapy, I can now accept the intrusive memories.” With his silver, shaggy hair and

ready smile, Shemenski has a look of familiarity about him. He is a husband, proud father of two, and an entrepreneur who led his own manufacturing business. He’s experienced many joys since

his time in Vietnam, but even now, decades later, he recalls with great clarity his year-long deployment to what is often referred to as the first televised war. “I left for Vietnam right

before Christmas,” Shemenski said. “During my going away, I remember handing my two-month-old baby girl to my wife, giving her a kiss, and going to the airport. I was in Vietnam all through

1970… 12 months in the bush.”  At just 25 years old, the purple heart recipient says he was considered the ‘old man’ of his platoon. Then a junior officer, Shemenski took the expectations of

that title to heart. “I became passionate about being a second lieutenant. I landed in Cam Ranh Bay and, I remember this so clearly, I got off the plane and it just overwhelmed me.” As he

remembered, Shemenski had a clear picture of what he needed to do. “It quickly dawned on me that I was not there to win the war, get a bunch of ribbons, or promote my career. My priority was

making sure my men went home to their mamas, not in a body bag,” Shemenski stated. Like many Veterans of the time, when he returned from Vietnam his homecoming was less than welcoming. “At

that time, if you wore the uniform, you were a pariah. People did not want to be associated with you,” Shemenski said. “I remember coming home to name calling and having things thrown at me

– all for my participation in a war that I had no choice but to fight in.”  Even though it had been years since the retired captain left the service, the disdain he encountered from his

fellow Americans, coupled with all he endured during his first deployment, shrouded Shemenski in a heaviness that he just couldn’t seem to shake. “It’s important for people to know that,

around the time of my introduction to Erin Todd, I had put the barrel to my head. The stunning part was my finger on the trigger,” Shemenski said. “I never, ever put my finger on the

trigger, even in Vietnam, until I was going to squeeze it.”   When he found his way to Bay Pines VA’s therapeutic arts program about five years ago, the fog that surrounded him began to

dematerialize. “Working with Erin and the mental health folks at the VA is the reason I'm still here,” Shemenski added. “Mr. Shemenski’s story is so key not only to the VA’s purpose but

the drive I feel for working at the VA and with the Veterans,” Todd said. “We don’t always get to hear about this kind of impact, so to see his growth has been so inspiring. Working with

him has been a beautiful reminder about just how healing music can be.” For Shemenski, it’s only right that he pays forward the good he’s received from VA to his fellow Veterans. “I have a

recording studio, that I call Studio B, and I’d really like to host Veterans here. I want my brothers and sisters to come here, relax and just have a good time,” Shemenski said. “I'm

passionate about the program because singing has been huge to me. I’m finally at peace.” To learn more, about the NVCAF, visit

https://www.blogs.va.gov/nvspse/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to encourage and support Shemenski and his fellow Veterans as they

showcase their talent during the week of the national festival.